The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections  
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Aug 19
Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest
Matthew 11:28
"Come to Me . . ."

A Place Where Your Soul Can Breathe

The invitation is from Jesus to all those that carry burdens, all who are weary, anyone who longs for that unexplainable "rest" you hear so much about in Scripture. Come to Him and receive it. 

Rest is the supernatural calm Christ places inside you. It is the quiet confidence that He has your back, your front, and your side. He will take care of you. You stay completely calm inside because you are resting in Him.

But sometimes something tries to disturb that rest. It may be a sudden thought, a misunderstanding, or a feeling that comes out of nowhere. It may be something small — but you feel it. The calm inside you ripples just a little. You sense your attention getting caught up in the noise.

Whenever anything begins to disturb your rest with Jesus, turn to Him at once. Ask Him to restore the calm. Never allow unrest to linger. Resist anything that pulls your attention away from Him; do not accept any disturbance of your peace. The enemy works quietly, using small irritations that slip themselves into your emotions and try to divide your inner life from Christ. But the moment you sense that shift — even slightly — come to Him. Ask Him for His peace again.

When your attention turns inward and you begin thinking too much about your own feelings, hurts, or misunderstandings, it awakens self‑pity. And self‑pity steals peace. It pulls your gaze away from Christ and toward yourself. You do not need to make explanations or apologies. You do not need to fix anything or anyone. Simply turn your attention back to Jesus.

Ask Him to fill your heart with awareness of His presence, and the inward swirl of emotions will fade. He will re‑establish your rest. As He quiets your thoughts and steadies your emotions, your calm is restored. That eerie calm you feel does not come from you—it is the sign of His presence. Wherever He enters, He brings this calm, quiet peace with Him.

And the beauty in walking with Him is:

His rest is not something you guard alone.
He guards it with you.
He keeps your heart level.
He alerts you when something is pulling you out of your peace.
He draws you back before you completely lose it.

The moment you turn toward Him,
He restores the calm.
He brings you back into the quiet place
where your soul can breathe.

Breath Prayer

Lord, I come

Give me rest

Selah,

~ Quil

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Scripture References

Matthew 11:28
This is the anchor of the devotional — the invitation, the rest, the coming to Him.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Isaiah 26:3
This is the supernatural calm He maintains inside you.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Psalm 23:2–3
This is the restoration when rest is disturbed — the drawing back, the steadying.
“He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”

Psalm 62:1
This is the truth behind the devotional: rest is received, not created.
“My soul finds rest in God alone.”

John 14:27
This is the warning not to accept any disturbance of your peace.
“My peace I give to you… Let not your heart be troubled.”

Philippians 4:7
This is the guarding of the inner calm — the protection of your peace.
“And the peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 94:19
This is the moment when something tries to disturb your rest — and He pulls you back.
“When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy.”